emerchantpay has now turned 21 and we’re here to mark this milestone by celebrating the people who make our company so great. Our journey in the payments ecosystem began in 2002. We took the seed of an initial business idea to make payments easy for our global customers and developed it into what emerchantpay is today; a trusted payment service provider and global acquirer made up of 460+ talented employees that share the same values and a passion to lead the charge of payment innovation.
As we reflect on our 21st birthday, we’re excited to launch this mini series where we will share the stories and memories of some of our team members. And what better way to do that than ask some of the people who are at the heart of all the products, services, and work culture about their most cherished moments as part of the wider emerchantpay family?
Making the leap: Krasimir’s journey from finance to fintech
Krasimir Stamatov, Head of Operations ECP at emerchantpay, vividly remembers the day he received the call informing him of his promotion. ‘I was by the seaside when I got the call for my promotion to operations manager in 2018’, he recalls, ‘and I remember feeling both excited and humbled’. Krasimir joined the emerchantpay family in December 2014 as manager of finance and part of the Treasury team. However, transitioning from the established work environment of high-street bank to a fintech startup was a daunting career move for him: ‘I’ve always been a finance guy, but fintech was unknown territory for me; it was a challenging career switch,’ Krasimir admits.
Krasimir credits his success to the training opportunities that helped him step up in his career and to the friendships he formed with teammates.
‘Every day in the office is fun – there’s a clear vision, buzzing energy and confidence in what everyone is doing.’
Reflecting on his promotion, Krasimir admits: ‘When the team found out I’m the new operations manager, they were unanimously telling me how delighted they were that I’ll be in charge moving forward.’ As he concludes jokingly, ‘In fact, I’d never forget a colleague coming to congratulate me and exclaiming “I knew it!” as if she was a fortune teller.’
The magic of working with a global and diverse team: Suzanne’s story
If you ask Suzanne Abbink, Sr Business Development Manager at emerchantpay, what she appreciates in the workplace the most, she will summarise it in six words: ‘the way our global team works’. Suzanne is based in our Netherlands office and kicked off her sales career in international payments over ten years ago. The benefits of being part of an ever-expanding global team are what she calls ‘myriad’ and became known to her early on.
‘The communication has always been smooth. Even with clashing time zones and contrasting walks of life or cultures among co-workers, it's effective because everyone is driven towards the common good of the company.’
Suzanne goes on to confess that the company’s international presence gives her greater flexibility at work, as the work hours enable her to be attentive to her “mum duties”: ‘I can drop off my kids to school every day in the morning and log in to work afterwards. I’m thankful for this opportunity and freedom the company provides.’
When it comes to team bonding, Suzanne shares with us a wonderful boat trip across the Dutch canals she had with a bunch of teammates based in the Amsterdam office. Everyone brought homemade food from their home countries, so it didn’t take too long for the boat to be filled with varied aroma of spices and flavours from around the world. It was a great ice breaker that made Suzanne realise how deeply connected she is with the team. In her own words: ‘It feels as if we’re too far yet too close to one another all at once. And that's where lies the magic.’
Building bright futures: Vania’s mission to empowering young talent and children to forge career paths
Vania Koleva, Group Chief Operations Officer at emerchantpay, remembers a time when the company partnered with a charity to support disadvantaged children with transitioning from an institutionalised state to a nurturing and fulfilling life. As Vania reminisces, ‘We welcomed a group of young adults who moved from orphanages and were set to join the workforce.’
The company provided ongoing mentoring and training programmes to empower the young adults with the knowledge and expertise needed to achieve success in their professional and personal lives – from writing a CV to learning how to dress and behave during an interview. They even set up mock interviews so the young learners could practice their skills. Vania highlights the significance of financial literacy, goal-setting, and personal development going beyond the workplace to provide these children with resources to believe in their potential and build a better future.
‘We wanted our coaching to surpass the workplace and give these ambitious individuals, who once felt hopeless, the tools to believe in their potential and build a better future for themselves,’ Vania reflects.
The course was successfully wrapped up at the graduation, with the company sponsoring part of the ceremony.
‘We’re glad we’ve made a difference in empowering this next generation to develop a sense of purpose and confidence to pursue their dreams.’ Vania comments.
Diana’s personal account of emerchantpay’s transformation from the inside out
We sat down with Diana Timcheva, HR manager at emerchantpay, to talk about her perspective of the company's transformation during the pandemic. Diana has been with the company for over seven years and has seen it grow from strength to strength over time.
In 2020, the pandemic hit, and like many other companies, emerchantpay had to adapt quickly to the new reality of remote work. This led to a series of challenges which prompted the HR team to take action. ‘The company kept growing exponentially in spite of the pandemic. Still, with the switch to digital and remote work during the pandemic, we had to adapt to a new culture and way of working,’ says Diana.
A series of performance reviews, internal surveys, and focus groups with a people-first mindset was performed by the HR team. One of the objectives was to help keep our employee engagement ignited while improving our digital workflows and cross-departmental communication. Yet, as Diana recalls, the road to transformation wasn’t always smooth sailing: ‘The pandemic brought so much uncertainty for everyone around the world. It took many hours of work and a great deal of confidence from us to present the idea to management and prove that this project will bring the desired results. And eventually we achieved it – transforming emerchantpay from the inside out!’
The results of the HR team’s efforts were impressive, leading to our 2022 Bronze Stevie Award for Great Employers in the Leading Transformation category. For Diana, this recognition was particularly meaningful:
‘We couldn't have asked for a more rewarding birthday present! We're a close-knit team that values culture, collaboration, and transparency. When faced with challenges, we work together to find solutions that benefit everyone. I'm excited to see where we go from here.’
For Maria, to be a successful office manager you need a big heart, an open mind, and fast reflexes
Maria Petrova, Office Manager at our Sofia office, which is our largest in terms of manpower, is what we call “the life history” of emerchantpay. Having been in the same position for over 14 years, Maria knows the ins and outs of the company. Among the countless memories, from our humble beginnings with a team of 20 passionate individuals to today’s thriving global organisation made of more than 450 talented people, there’s one that stands out.
It was a time when the team hit the river, picked up their paddles and set off for a thrilling rafting adventure. But this was no ordinary rafting ride – the team was on a mission to find a hidden treasure that was rumoured to be buried somewhere along the riverbank. ‘The rafts were our pirate ships and tensions were high – we were paddling furiously, colliding and splashing water at each other as we tried to get more clues about where the treasure was hidden.’ But the effective collaboration and decision-making amongst the set of rafters in pursuit of the treasure is what have stayed with Maria. She even goes as far as to parallel it with what emerchantpay is and how we work.
This teamwork and dedication of every teammate has always been present and is what Maria cherishes the most. In fact, she takes pride in how emerchantpay is evolving – from management to operations and culture – while she appreciates how everyone is well-respected, fairly treated, and valued at work.
When asked what it entails to be in her shoes, she admits that no two days are the same and that a call can make or break your day. According to Maria to manage the Sofia office, you need a big heart, an open mind, and fast reflexes. But as she admits:
‘I’m happy to sail with what was once a tiny boat of a bunch of people that’s now an ever-growing ship of qualified and amazing “pirates” and conquerors of the world!’
The homecoming: Martin’s path to engineering success, from London to Sofia
Martin Lazarov, Senior Software Engineer at emerchantpay, is no stranger to success employee stories. emerchantpay welcomed Martin in 2019 after a career fair he had attended in London, where he used to work. This is where Martin decided to return to his homeland, Bulgaria, and join the emerchantpay Sofia office. Since then, Martin’s career at emerchantpay knows only the way up, as he quickly progressed from a Line Manager to a senior role with direct reports.
He admits that the first two months were challenging. ‘I remember being a newbie with Ruby, one the fundamental programming languages we use, but everyone was patient with me and gave me time to learn it,’ Martin comments. Patience and empathy are virtues that were instilled in Martin by his seniors and which he strives to apply when managing his team. Despite the daily flood of questions and juggling his individual tasks, he enjoys collaborating with employees who are willing to learn and excel in their roles. ‘The pressure and struggling are worth it.’
‘It’s rewarding to work with people who have spark and desire to learn and reach greater heights in what they’re doing,’ Martin adds.
Training has been instrumental in helping Martin hone his skills and become a better mentor. As he admits: ‘I had access to internal resources and IT learning since day one. As I grew, I got into our leadership development programmes that give me an insider’s look at how to manage people efficiently. I couldn't have asked for a better company that invests and nurtures great professionals.’
When time slips away like a breeze: Peter feels he works at emerchantpay for 20 minutes, not 13 years
In our dynamic accounting department, here comes one of our long-lasting and core members Peter Stewart, Accountant at emerchantpay, who has been an integral part of our organisation for 13 years.
Part of Peter’s experience with the company is defined by his unwavering commitment to his craft. In his own words: ‘Each day I switch on my laptop, a new adventure unfolds. My tasks are no A, B, C; they keep me engaged and my mind sharp.’ From strategising budget allocations to advising management to ensure continuous financial health, Peter is indispensable to the company’s success. Commenting on the emerchantpay’s growth, Peter comments: ‘It struck me when I realised how far the company has come. It feels like I’m here 20 minutes, not 13 years’. Peter adds.
While the growth of the company brought forth exciting challenges, Peter never lost sight of the people behind the numbers. His deep-rooted belief in the importance of human connections and genuine care for his team is what stands out in his journey.
‘The heart and soul of emerchantpay lies in its people. It is through their collective dedication, skillset, passion, and kindness that the company flourishes. I’m treasuring the friendships I’ve formed over the years, thankful for the opportunity I was given to mentor junior teammates and see them stepping up,’ Peter concludes.
Peter’s professional expertise and heartfelt empathy to strike the perfect balance and him one of our most cherished colleagues.
Building relationships with colleagues, delivering excellence to customers: Ibrahim’s story
Ibrahim Khan, Head Customer Service Centre at emerchantpay in our vibrant Dubai office, is a teammate you’d call “people-centric”. With his welcoming demeanour and natural ability to connect with everyone, Ibrahim is a true asset to emerchantpay. In his role, he spins many plates. Not only does he ensure the smooth delivery of exceptional customer service with proactiveness and grace, but he also forges relationships with customers based on empathy and loyalty. More so, he effectively manages the local team and operations with versatility and finesse.
Each day brings a new set of challenges. But I always value the team and our management who are role models to me and support me in overcoming them,’ Ibrahim admits.
One of the challenges Ibrahim recalls which demonstrates the company’s cross-departmental collaboration and positive attitude is when an issue with a newly launched product occurred one evening outside work hours. Ibrahim alerted the product’s Operations Manager who escalated the matter to Product Development that managed to troubleshoot the error within minutes.
Ibrahim goes as far as to recall another time where the joy of working with diverse cultures within one global organisation and emerchantpay’s familial atmosphere shone through. ‘I was travelling to Borovets for training. At dinner, I was thrilled to see so many of us based in different locations with different backgrounds under the same roof.’ Ibrahim even remembers how delighted he was when the team went the extra mile to cater to his dietary preferences for a vegetarian meal. For him, this was one of the many thoughtful gestures that showed him how ‘well you’re taken care of here and how committed emerchantpay is to inclusivity and our wellbeing.’
We couldn’t agree more, Ibrahim!
How table tennis and company culture keep Rangel going
Table tennis might seem like an unlikely team-building activity, but for Rangel Bakalov, Manager Treasury Department PSP at emerchantpay, it proved to be a huge success. Rangel played a key role in organising the Accedia Table Tennis Championship, an event that brought the team together and provided a welcome break from the day-to-day routine.
‘It was rewarding seeing the enthusiasm from the team,’ he confesses. ‘Everyone was eager to grab the racket and strike the ball, laughing, cheering, and connecting with one another.’
For Rangel, the event was a clear indication of the importance that emerchantpay places on building strong relationships among employees, improving team performance, and investing in employee well-being. As someone who has spent over ten years with the company and progressed from an executive to a manager, Rangel knows better than most the value of such activities.
‘I’ve always been immersed in a welcoming atmosphere where cooperation and agility from the teammates are non-negotiables. Long tenures in the company come to show that work brings the best out of people to stay in the long run,’ Rangel said.
When asked what makes emerchantpay so special besides his own passion for payments, he highlights the equal share of work and bonding time he has with his colleagues. ‘The people and our common interests, sports are one of the many, are decisive factors that keep me going strong here.’
A mile in Anna's shoes: prioritising physical and mental Health with Sneaker
Outdoor challenges are an emerchantpay team favourite. Sneaker Day is the company’s annual event where employees are encouraged to take a break from their busy schedules and prioritise their physical and mental health by running one mile.
‘It’s a great initiative from the HR team that gets us moving, keeping a fine balance between work, focusing on mental health, and staying active.
The challenge involved our global team and the more of us, the higher the competition. The athletic gear voucher prize was a good incentive for us to take part, but beyond this, it felt that we were all connected no matter what place of the world we were in.
When asked if she will join in the next Sneaker Day, Anna reveals: ‘I got my running shoes ready for it.’ Same, Anna!
Growing together: the power of teamwork and unity that stands the test of time
It's clear that emerchantpay is more than just a company – it’s a community of people who are dedicated to working together and achieving great things.
Whether it's navigating the challenges of a global pandemic, undergoing a company-wide transformation, or paddling down a river in search of treasure, the emerchantpay team is always ready to face any obstacle with teamwork and determination.
Stay tuned for the second and final article of this series, where we'll hear more stories from the people behind emerchantpay and their unique experiences working for this dynamic and growing company.